Annabel McMeeking, Livingston
I am 75 years old living in UK. So I needed a total knee replacement surgery. I checked with a clinic at home to go privately and was quoted £12,500. This was a huge amount of money to my husband and myself. Read more
Paul Duncan, Co Tyrone
I have had my right hip totally replaced at Orthopaedic Riga in Sep 2017. I would like to thank them for their excellent work! At the Clinic you feel a difference to a big clinical hospital, it’s a more personal experience. Read more
Matthew Murphy, co Louth Eire
A friend of mine recommended going to Latvia for a knee replacement procedure. I googled and researched it and found Orthopaedic Riga. Read more
Suada Mohamud, London
My son is 16 years old; he plays professional basketball. He had an inquiry. Our doctor at home said my son had to undergo ACL reconstruction surgery and we finally decided to go ahead. Read more
Graeme Milne, Cookham
Romiel from Orthopaedic Riga could not have been more helpful and was very professional. The hospital was only built around a year ago and was spotlessly clean. Read more
UK citizens choose medical tourism
Nowadays medical tourism is gaining popularity and more and more people leave their country of residence in order to get medical services of a higher quality and a lower cost. According to statistics, 1 out of 10 UK citizens know someone who has been abroad to undergosurgery and the younger the responder is, the higherthe number is. It is possible to assume that in 2015, 200,000 British citizens decided to go abroad to seekmedical services. So what is so attractive aboutthiskind of tourism and what should a person know before starting the journey?
Popular procedures and destinations
Presently there is a clear tendency to travel abroad for an expensive procedure. The leading positions aredentistry, plastic surgery, reproductive medicine and replacement surgeries, such as hip and knee replacement. The reasons are quite obvious and apart from getting new experiences from sightseeing, meeting new people and relaxing away from home, people get first-class services for lower rates. Thereare a number of countries which host the biggest percentage of UK patients. This happens due to the absence of geographical borders, no entry requirements and of course lower prices.
Most often British medical tourists choose Poland, Spain, Latvia, Turkey and Hungary, each of which has lots of hospitals to satisfy every need and desire. Short travel time and low cost flights make such destinations not only affordable, but pretty attractive. Each patient has an individual treatment strategy, so the costs can vary significantly,butresearch shows that a UK citizen can save from 50% to 80% if choosing medical help abroad. Impressive, isn’t it?
How to makethe right decision
1. Don’t hesitate to ask others. If you want to be sure that you are doing the right thing, pay attention to the reviews and testimonials of the people who have already been abroad for medical treatment. They can give you lots of information not only about the hospital and fees, but also about thechallenges and possible difficulties you might have.Consequently you will beprepared and the journey will be easy and safe.
2. Talk to your doctor. While reviews of other patients can be quite subjective, your doctor will give youcomplete and concise information about the procedure you need to undergo. He might also know ahospital and country which specialize in yourrequirements.
3. Dothorough research. Contact local hospitals, ask them to send you all the available data about the process, fees and specific details. For example, if you need to havereplacement surgery, a hospital should provide you with details about the surgeons, hospital facilities, recovery periods, total cost and so on.
Based on these criteria, you will be able to decide whether it is a right fit for you and therefore will get the maximum advantages!
Don’t hesitate to ask additional questions and make up a clear plan of your journey, so thateverything will go without a hitch and you will get the best results.